(NewsNation) — Lawmakers, Trump administration officials and other dignitaries on Sunday honored the memory of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk during a prayer vigil that reached capacity at the Kennedy Center.
Those attending include House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Separate vigils were being held Sunday across the country.
Charlie Kirk’s widow vows to continue his work after assassination
Kirk was fatally shot Wednesday at a campus event in Utah.
“The service will be a unifying event focused on prayer, mourning, and celebrating the life, legacy, and memory of Charlie Kirk — a national treasure whose life was cut far too short,” a press release announcing the event reads.
“People are very saddened. They’re very angry. They’re — many people are afraid,” Johnson told “Fox News Sunday.”
“It cast a shadow across the country and certainly on Capitol Hill. But as Erika [Kirk] said so well, so clearly, our friend Charlie would not want us to be consumed by despair. He would want us to carry his message forward, and that’s exactly what is going to happen,” he added.
A memorial service for Kirk is set for Sept. 21 in Glendale, Ariz., and President Trump has said he would attend.
Early in his second term, Trump remade the Kennedy Center board and appointed himself board chair. He criticized the institution’s previous programming as “out of control,” arguing it showcased performances with “rampant political propaganda.”
This is a developing news story. Check back for updates.
